AU2005201362B2 - A catchment device and washdown system - Google Patents

Abstract

A washdown system for a concrete vehicle. The system comprises a catchment device and a collection tank. The catchment device is adapted to mount to a chute fo the concrete vehicle. The collection tank is operatively coupled to the catchment device and adapted to amount to the vehicle. When in use surplus concrete from the chute is washed or flows into the catchment device and then transferred into the collection tank. -I ii NO p -~ I I i I 'I I. I II -, 3 I - -F-----

Description

112660,366 AUSTRALIA Parents Act 1990 (Cth) Complete Specification Eric Robinson and Tony Savage Invention Title A Catchment Device and Washdown System The invention is described in the following statement: Blake Dawson Waldron Parent Services Level 36 Grosvenor Place 225 George Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 Telephone: +P 61 2 9258 6000 Fay; + 61 2 9258 6999 Ref; DGC ACLC 02 1383 0748 112660366 2. A Catchment Device and Washdown System FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to a catchment device or a washdown system adapted to be mounted to a concrete vehicle. 5 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION It is generally recognised that the current standard practices of disposing waste materials such as surplus concrete or debris in the construction industry do not comply with the international standards of and regulations on environmental protection and disposal of hazardous materials. For instance, the ways in which waste materials from an unloaded 10 concrete vehicle are handled are arbitrary. In the absence of a standardised practice and as a result of the general heedlessness of the people in the industry, residual debris and concrete on chutes of a concrete vehicle following a concrete pour is usually scraped off and disposed of by concrete workers on site, for the concrete debris would otherwise be hard to remove once it has cured. There are also frequent occurrences of spillage of wet 15 concrete from concrete vehicles when travelling between construction sites and/or depots. This results in patches or trails of concrete being left on the surface of roads. Incidents of spillage need to be reported in order for the cured concrete to be removed. The reality however is that incidents of spillage and disposal of concrete on site are often unreported which commonly lead to the following consequences and disadvantages: 20 1. contamination of lawns and waterways which would inevitably have negative effects on the environment; 2 unnoticeable transit spillages can be a major hazard to motorists, motor-cyclists and cyclists; 3. concealment of road markings which necessities re-painting; and 25 4. invisible airborne dust generated from curing concrete may be an iritant to the allergy-affected community.

3 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a catchment device being adapted to movably mount to a chute of a concrete vehicle, the catchment device including a reservoir being designed to collect or transfer surplus concrete from the chute. 5 According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a washdown system of a concrete vehicle, said system comprising: a catchment device being adapted to mount to a chute of the concrete vehicle; a collection tank being operatively coupled to the catchment device and adapted to mount to the vehicle whereby in use surplus concrete from the chute is washed or flows into 10 the catchment device and thereafter is transferred into the collection tank; and a rinsing system which is operatively coupled to the collection tank for rinsing of the tank. Preferably the washdown system additionally comprises a transfer conduit being elongate and at opposing ends coupled to the catchment device and the collection tank, respectively, said 15 conduit allowing transfer of the surplus concrete washed from the chute into the tank. More preferably the transfer conduit includes a releasable coupling designed to detachably connect to the catchment device. Preferably the washdown system also comprises one or more racks which are operatively coupled to the collection tank and adapted to support one or more extension chutes wherein 20 surplus concrete washed from said chutes drains into the collection tank. More preferably each of the racks defines a channel in which the surplus concrete is collected and transferred into the collection tank. Preferably the washdown system also comprises a release valve mounted to the collection tank and arranged to control the disposal of the surplus concrete stored in the collection tank. More 25 preferably the release valve is in the form of a normally-closed butterfly valve. Even more preferably the collection tank includes an inspection or access opening being configured for cleaning and preventing build ups. Preferably the rinsing system includes a rinsing line connected at opposite ends to the collection tank and a rinse fluid SPEC-879951.doc 112660366 4. supply, respectively, and a rinse valve coupled to the rinsing line. Even more preferably the rinse valve is normally-closed and configured to open on opening of the release valve. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES In order to achieve a better understanding of the nature of the present invention a preferred 5 embodiment of a catchment device and a washdown system will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a washdown system and a catchment device in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view from the top of a chute and the catchment device of figure 10 1; Figure 3 is a photograph in perspective view of the chute, the catchment device and a transfer conduit of the washdown system of figure 2; Figure 4 is a side elevation of the catchment device of figure 2; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the catchment device of figure 4; 15 Figure 6 is a plan view of the catchment device of figure 4; Figure 7 is a plan view of a rack which forms part of the washdown system of figure 1; Figure 8 is a side and end elevation view of the rack of figure 7; Figure 9 is a photograph in side view of another embodiment of a washdown system mounted on a concrete truck; 20 Figure 10a is a plan view of a removable top of the collection tank of the washdown system of figure 1 or 9; Figure 10b is a side view of the removable top of figure 10a; Figure 10c is a plan view of the collection tank of figure 1 or 9; Figure 10d is a cross-sectional view of the collection tank of figure 1 or 9; 112660366 5. Figure 11 shows a photograph in perspective view of a release valve mounted to the collection tank of figure 1 or 9; Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing operation of the release valve of the washdown system of figure 1 or 9; 5 Figure 13 is a schematic drawing of a rinsing system which works in conjunction with the washdown system of figure 1 or 9; Figure 14 is a schematic drawing of a pressuring system for a rinse fluid supply of the rinsing system of figure 13; Figure 15 is a photograph in perspective view of an assembled washdown system of figure 10 9. Figure 16 is a photograph in perspective view of the washdown system of figure 9 when in operation; Figure 17 is a photograph in perspective view of the rack of figure 2 being cleaned by the washdown system of figure 9; 15 Figure 18 is a photograph illustrating the collection tank of the washdown system of figure 9 when in operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION/PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As shown in figure 1, there is a washdown system generally referenced 1 of a concrete vehicle or truck 8, comprising a catchment device 2 being adapted to mount to a chute 4 of 20 the concrete truck 8. The catchment device 2 is also operatively coupled or plumbed to a collection tank 6. The collection tank 6 of this example is made of stainless steel or aluminium and is mounted to rail flanges 24 and 26 of the lower chassis of the concrete truck 8 at the rear of the concrete truck 8. The catchment device 2 is adapted to movably or detachably mounted to the chute 4. The collection tank 6 is plumbed to the catchment 25 device 2 by way of a transfer conduit 10 and adapted to mount to the concrete truck 8. In use, surplus concrete from the chute 4 is washed into the catchrmernt device 2 and thereafter transferred into the collection tank 6. The collection tank includes an inspection or access opening being configured for cleaning and preventing build ups.

112660366 6. Referring to figure 2, a perspective view of the chute 4 from the top is shown having the catchment device 2 engaged to the end thereof. Both edges 52 (one of which being invisible) of the chute 4 has a return 54 which is welded onto a bar 50 which is fixed across an entrance of the chute 4. The bar 50 is also engaged by hooks 48 provided at the upper 5 portion of the catchment device 2. Referring back to figure 3, the chute 4 has a shoulder 56 which the edge 58 of the catchment device 2 abuts. A lever type lock 70 is fitted to the bottom of the catchment device 2 securing it in position and forcing it against the shoulder 56 of the chute 4 thereby achieving a seal. It can be seen in figures 6 and 7 that the catchment device 2 includes a reservoir 44 being designed to collect or transfer surplus 10 concrete from the chute 4 and a cover 60 which prevents any spillage of washed concrete or debris as it flows down the chute 4 and hits the wall 62 of the catchment device 2. The catchment device 2 has an orifice 64 and includes an externally welded hollow joint 66. The transfer conduit 10 is includes a releasable coupling 68 with a camlock fitting 74 which is designed to detachably connect the transfer conduit 10 to the welded joint 66 of 15 the catchment device 2. The transfer conduit 10 is elongate and at opposing ends coupled to the catchment device 2 and the collection tank 6, respectively. The transfer conduit 10 allows transfer of the surplus concrete washed from the chute 4 into the collection tank 6. The transfer conduit 10 is connected to the collection tank 6 which is located in the rear of the concrete truck 8 and in this embodiment is detachable. 20 Turning to figures 4, 5 and 6, a cross-sectional view, end view and top view of the catchment device 2 are shown respectively. The catchment device 2 has a sloping end wall 62 and a round bottom 72 defining a cavity with a capacity of around 1.5 typical average wheelbarrow loads. Turning back to figure 3, an internal cap 76 is connected to the catchment device 2 by a 25 metallic chain 78. When the washdown system 1 is not in operation, the transfer conduit 10 may be disconnected from the catchment device and the cap 76 may be screwed onto the welded joint 66 (invisible in figure 3) so as to seal the orifice 64 (invisible in figure 3). A pneumatic cylinder 80 with a rain 81 is provided linking the underside of the chute 4 and the body of the concrete truck 8. This arrangement enables the chute 4 to have different 30 angles of inclination whereby the rate of flow of the washed concrete and debris may be controlled. The pneumatic cylinder 80 is manually operated by a switch 84.

112660366 7. Referring back to figure 1, as it is desirable for a concrete truck to have a lengthy runway whereby wet concrete is carried and unloaded with precision, extension chutes (not shown) are required to be carried by the concrete truck 8. Racks 12, 14 and 16 are therefore mounted on both sides of the truck and underneath the agitator 28 respectively. The racks 5 12, 14 and 16 are in this instance made of aluminium. In order to prevent wear, two elongate flat steel plates (not shown) are bolted to the outer edge of the internal floor of the each rack. A hard plastic cover is riveted to both sides over the top of each of the racks 12 and 14 to prevent any spilt over concrete from a main load hopper in the event of choking from entering into the chute racks 12 and 14. This also prevents any splashing of the 10 washed concrete during cleaning of the chutes. Each of the racks 12, 14 and 16 defines a channel 17 in which the surplus concrete is collected and transferred into the collection tank 6. The racks 12, 14 and 16 are operatively coupled to the collection tank 6 and adapted to support one or more of the extension chutes (not shown) wherein surplus concrete washed from the extension chutes drains into the collection tank 6. Each of the 15 racks 12 and 14 is connected at one end to a connecting pipe 20 and 22, the other end of which is connected to the collection tank 6. The connecting pipes 20 and 22 are provided such that surplus concrete may be drained into the collection tank 6. Referring to figures 7 and 8, a plan, side and end view of the rack 16 are shown respectively. It can be seen that the channel 17 of the rack 16 comprises two chambers 30 20 and 32 which are in communication with one another. A tapering trough 34 with an outlet 36 is provided midway along the rack 16. A camlock fitting 38 is coupled to the outlet 36 so as to facilitate connection of a connecting pipe 40 which links the rack 16 to the collection tank 6. Referring to figure 9, another preferred embodiment of the washdown system of the 25 present invention with fewer racks is shown. In this embodiment, the rack 16 is adjacent to the rear of the concrete truck and underneath the agitator 3. The racks 12 and 14 are omitted. It can be seen from the end elevation of the rack that a preventative bar 38 is provided at the upper portion of the end of the both chambers 30 and 32. When the extension chutes (not shown) are not in use, they are slid into and accommodated within 30 the respective chambers 30 and 32. The preventative bars 38 function to hold the extension chutes (not shown) in place. The rack 16 is fully enclosed with an arched roof 41. It can be seen in figure 5 that each end of the rack 16 has a barrier 42 which prevents 112660366 8. surplus concrete and debris from dropping out of the chambers 30 and 32. Also, the chambers 30 and 32 are slanted towards the middle of the rack 16 so as to facilitate flow of the debris and washed concrete to the trough 34 of the rack 16 and then into the connecting pipe 40. 5 Referring to figure 10a, a removable top 86 having tank spigot 88 is shown. The removable top 86 is bolted to the collection tank 6 for ease of maintenance. The hollow joints 88 are engaged with the connecting pipes 20, 22, 40 and 96 such that the catchment device 2 and the chute racks, 12, 14 and 16 are in communication with the collection tank 6. A side view of the removable top 86 is shown in figure 13. Figures 14 and 15 show a 10 plan view and cross-sectional view of the collection tank 6 respectively. The collection tank 6 has an a pipe 90 which extends across the longitudinal length of the collection tank 6 and is connected to a joint 92 which projects out of the collection tank 6. The joint 92 is connected to one end of a rinsing line 96 (as shown in figure 1), the other end of which is connected to a rinse fluid supply 98. There are perforations 94 scattered throughout the 15 body of the pipe 90 allowing water sourced from the rinse fluid supply 98 to be pumped into the collection tank 6. A flanged spigot 100 which protrudes out from the underside of the collection tank 6 is provided for discharging the surplus concrete contained or stored within the collection tank 6. The collection tank 6 has a slant bottom 102 which facilitates flowing of the washed concrete and debris towards the spigot 100 for disposal. 20 Referring to figure 11, the washdown system I also comprises a release valve 104 which is mounted to the flanged spigot 100 of the collection tank 6. The release valve 104 is arranged to control the disposal of the surplus concrete stored in the collection tank 6. The release valve in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is in the form of a normally-closed butterfly valve. As shown in figure 17 which is a schematic drawing 25 showing the operation of the release valve 104. An air or gas supply 106 which is installed in the concrete truck S is connected to a pneumatically driven actuator 108. The actuator 108 is controlled by a first solenoid 110 which is electrically connected to a power switch 1Il. When the actuator 108 is activated, air or gas is fed to open the release valve 104 effecting disposal of the surplus concrete carried within the collection tank 6. The power 30 switch 111 is provided in either the dash board of the concrete truck 6 or a water proof control box or panel at the agitator pedestal (not shown).

I 12660366 9. Turning to figure 13, the washdown system 1 further comprises a rinsing system which is operatively coupled to the collection tank 6 for rinsing purposes. The rinsing system includes the rinsing line 96 connected at opposite ends to the collection tank 6 and a rinse fluid supply 98, for example a water tank, respectively, and a rinse valve 112 coupled to 5 the rinsing line 96. The rinse valve 112 is in the form of a three way valve and is normally-closed and configured to open on opening of the release valve 104. The rinse valve 112 is controlled by a second solenoid which is also connected to an actuator 108 activated by the power switch 110. The rinsing system further comprises a sprinkler 114 (which is shown only schematically in figure 18) which operates in conjunction with the 10 release valve 104. The sprinkler 114 in this embodiment is in the form of a tube and consists of three spray jets (not shown). The first spray jet is located directly above the release valve 104 which assists in discharging the surplus concrete when the release valve 104 is opened. Although not shown in the drawings, it is contemplated that the second and third spray jets are located on the sides of the collection tank 6 respectively and have the 15 dual function of discharging the washed concrete as well as rinsing the interior of the collection tank 6 while emptying thereof. Extra room is also allowed for an additional spray jet if required. Both the release valve 104 and rinse valve 112 are controlled simultaneously by the safety power switch 110 provided either on the dash board of the concrete truck 8 or a water proof control box or panel which is located either at the agitator 20 pedestal or on the concrete truck driver's side for easy access. The control box is made of plastics and has a removable lid which provides easy access to the solenoid and wiring which are within the control box. The control box is also sealed such that it is water and acid proof. The solenoids are 12 volt DC coils and the valves are 22 D8 BA 2W air flow control valves. 25 Referring to figure 14, the rinse fluid supply 98 is operated pneumatically and connected to the air or gas supply 106. The intake of air into the rinse fluid supply 98 is controlled by a third solenoid (not shown) also being connected to the power switch 110 in the control box. The internal pressure in the rinse fluid supply 98 may however be adjusted manually by a three-way ball valve 116 which is connected directly to the rinse fluid supply 98. 30 The general steps involved in operating the washdown system I of the present invention are as follows: 1 12660366 10. 1. disconnecting the extension chutes 118 (refer to figure 5) from the chute 4 and sliding the extension chutes into the respective racks 12 and 14 and the chambers 30 and 32 of the rack 16 following a pour of the wet concrete: 2. connecting the catchment device 2 and conduit 10 which are normally hooked onto 5 the body of concrete truck 8 when not in use (refer to figures 21 and 22), to the chute 4 (it should be noted that the releaseable coupling 68 needs to be tightened up to prevent any leakage); 3. grabbing and triggering a water gun which is hosed to the rinse water supply 98 such that a jet stream of water is directed onto the internal surface of the chute 4 10 (refer to figure 16); 4. pointing the water gun 120 at the interior of the racks 12, 14 and 16 and rinsing the interior surface of the extension chutes 118 from the end of the racks 12, 14 and 16 (refer to figure 17). By now the washed concrete and debris are all flushed into the collection tank 6 from the 15 chute 4, catchment device 2 and racks 12, 14 and 16. The water gun 120 may also be used to wash fins and flights of the washdown system or the body of the concrete truck 8 as any washed waste materials are collected by the chute 4 and then conveyed to the collection tank 6 after flushing. The concrete truck 8 is then driven back to a depot or an appropriate venue for discharging the washed concrete and debris where the release valve 104 and 20 rinse valve 112 are activated to discharge the surplus concrete and debris contained within the collection tank 6 (refer to figure 18). Now that several preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in some detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the catchment device and washdown system have at least the following advantages: 25 () preventing any spillage of concrete during transportation and eliminating the need of non environment friendly ways of dumping residual or surplus concrete; (ii) eliminating road hazards caused by unexpected spillage of concrete during transportation which would substantially reduce the expenditure on road cleaning and repainting road markings; 112660366 11. (iii) preserving the health of the allergy-affected community; (iv) reducing build-ups of cured concrete on chutes, fins and flights; (v) the catchment device can effectively hold small spillages of at least 0.1 to 0.2 metres (equivalent to approximately 1.5 wheelbarrow loads) if required; and 5 (vi) easy to assemble and operate. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention described herein is susceptible to variations and modifications other than those specifically described. For example, the position and number of the racks may vary depending on the design of the concrete truck and the design of the rinsing system may vary. All such variations and modifications are to 10 be considered within the scope of the present invention the nature of which is to be determined from the foregoing description.

Claims (15)

1. A washdown system of a concrete vehicle, said system comprising: a catchment device being adapted to mount to a chute of the concrete vehicle; a collection tank being operatively coupled to the catchment device and adapted 5 to mount to the vehicle whereby in use surplus concrete from the chute is washed or flows into the catchment device and thereafter is transferred into the collection tank; and a rinsing system which is operatively coupled to the collection tank for rinsing of the tank. 10

2. A washdown system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a transfer conduit being elongate and at opposing ends coupled to the catchment device and the collection tank, respectively, said conduit allowing transfer of the surplus concrete washed from the chute into the tank.

3. A washdown system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transfer conduit includes a 15 releasable coupling designed to detachably connect to the catchment device.

4. A washdown system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims further comprising one or more racks which are operatively coupled to the collection tank and adapted to support one or more extension chutes.

5. A washdown system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the racks defines a channel 20 in which the surplus concrete is collected and transferred into the collection tank.

6. A washdown system as claimed in any one of preceding claims also comprising a release valve mounted to the collection tank and arranged to control the disposal of the surplus concrete stored in the collection rank.

7. A washdown system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the release valve is in the form of 25 a normally-closed butterfly valve.

8.. A washdown system as claimed in either of claims 6 or 7, wherein the release valve is controllable via an electrical connection.

9. A washdown system as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the release valve is remotely controllable via the electrical connection. SPEC-879951 doc 13

10. A washdown system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the collection tank includes an inspection or access opening being configured for cleaning and preventing build ups.

11. A washdown system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rinsing 5 system includes a rinsing line connected at opposite ends to the collection tank and a rinse fluid supply, respectively, and a rinse valve coupled to the rinsing line.

12. A washdown system as claimed in claim 11 when it depends on any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the rinse valve is normally-closed and configured to open on opening of the release valve. 10

13. A washdown system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the collection tank is made of aluminium.

14. A washdown system of a concrete vehicle, said system being substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

15 SPEC-879951 doc